ST. PAUL, MINN. — Done trying to figure out the PairWise Rankings and what it means to DU, but I’m told the Pios will at least get an at-large bid on Sunday and compete in its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament beginning next weekend at one of four regionals. At 7:35 p.m. CT, they were 10th in the PWR, which equates to a No. 3 seed. Don’t think the Pios care who they play. Confidence is high.

Because of Jason Zucker and Luke Salazar’s late-game heroics in today’s 3-2 OT victory over Michigan Tech, I didn’t write much on freshman wing Ty Loney, who I thought was the No. 1 star in the WCHA Final Five quarterfinals at the Xcel Energy Center. Loney had just one shot (goal) but added the game-tying assist and was plus-2 on the Drew Shore-centered line, with Salazar.

Loney, 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, is the son of two-time Stanley Cup winner Troy Loney, whom I met today upon entering the building. Ty Loney obviously has great genes and size for his age, but he was a healthy scratch in six of DU’s first 11 games this season. DU coach George Gwozdecky joked that he was so behind at the start of the season, he didn’t think young Ty, who turned 20 on March 1, “could keep up” in practice.

Loney has 10 goals and 20 points — a fine freshman season.

Also didn’t have room to give freshman goalie Juho Olkinuora the required love in Friday’s game story. He had 27 saves in a game that proves how much the program likes him — he started a tournament game with win-or-go-home stakes. “I felt good. It wasn’t one of my best games, I’d say. There was stuff that I could clean up,” Olkinuora said.

Sophomore Sam Brittain is expected to start in Friday’s semis against Minnesota-Duluth. He and “Jussi” have been rotating regularly and are undoubtedly a nice luxury. “Like I’ve said before, we boost each other and make each other better,” Olkinuora said.” Whoever is in net, you know there aren’t going to be any easy goals. I feel like it’s a good situation.”

DU junior defenseman Paul Phillips suffered a leg injury on his first or second shift and was getting an MRI performed after the game, in which he did not finish. If he can’t go Friday the Pios will be limited to five D — including freshmen Joey LaLeggia, Scott Mayfield and Josiah Didier. Seniors John Ryder and John Lee are playing mega minutes and the young guys are playing exceptionally well. Phillips also didn’t play most of Sunday’s game against Wisconsin, after getting banged up against the boards, so going with five D is nothing unusual for this group.

Also want to get some Jason Zucker stuff out of the way, even though it’s also in the game story.

“Certainly, he’s got a great release and scored a big goal for us today,” Gwozdecky said of the OT winner. “Jason and I had some discussions after the first period and after the second period, trying to analyze and help him get better in the game. I think he’d be the first to admit that he didn’t have a great game tonight . . . Certainly we’d like to be able to see him, along with some of his other teammates, play more of complete game (today).”

Finally, this from Salazar. The 5-foot-nothing, 155-pounder has scored a goal in his last three games, and has four in his last five. He has been a late-game hero in three consecutive 3-2 OT victories, scoring the third-period tying goal March 3 at UNO and the OT tally Sunday against Wisconsin.

“We’ve been down or tied in the third period the last few games and don’t want to change our game plan,” Salazar joked. “I’ve pretty much just been lucky.”

Kensler joined The Denver Post in 1989 and has covered a variety of beats, including Colorado, Colorado State, golf, Olympics and the Denver Broncos. His brush with greatness: losing in a two-on-two pickup basketball game at Ohio State against two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.